Chicken Vegetable Lasagna

Makes 10 servings

Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 360 min

This slow cooker lasagna recipe is jammed with vegetables and flavour and is healthy alternative to its meaty cousin with only 390 calories per serving. By the time your day is done, the kitchen will be filled with the wonderful aromas of tangy tomato sauce and bubbling cheese.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil 10 ml
1 cup onion(s), diced 250 ml
cloves garlic, minced
1 lb lean ground chicken 0.5 kg
1/2 cup carrot(s), grated 125 ml
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced 0.3 kg
green pepper(s), sliced
1/2 cup low-sodium tomato sauce 125 ml
can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine or chicken broth 125 ml
2 tbsp Italian seasoning 30 ml
1/4 tsp hot red chili pepper flakes 1.25 ml
box whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 cups cottage cheese, 1% MF 500 ml
egg(s), medium, beaten
1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground 2.5 ml
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 60 ml
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese 500 ml
If you don't have Italian seasoning blend you may also use a combination of basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme.
 
This healthy makeover of an all time favourite is lower in fat and sodium and higher in fibre than most versions of lasagna. Enjoy it with a tossed salad and some wholegrain bread. Bellisimo!

Instructions

Step 1
Heat oil in a non-stick pot over medium heat. Sauté diced onions, minced garlic and ground chicken, about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Use the back of a spoon to break up ground chicken into smaller pieces as it cooks.

Step 2
Add the grated carrots, sliced mushrooms and diced green pepper. Sauté 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes to the pot with the tomato sauce and red wine. Season with Italian mixed herbs and black pepper. Add hot red pepper flakes if you like a spicier dish. Cover and bring to a boil then simmer 30 minutes over low heat. Don't cook on too high of heat or you will lose all the juice and you need it to cook the noodles in the slow cooker.

Step 3
In a large bowl mix together the cottage cheese, beaten eggs and nutmeg.

Step 4
Oil bottom of slow cooker.

Step 5
To assemble, spoon 1½ cups (375 mL) of the meat mixture onto the bottom of slow cooker. Top with 4 noodles, breaking to fit and overlapping as necessary. Top noodles with 1½ cups (375 mL) of the cottage cheese mixture and 1 Tbsp (30 mL) Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layering of sauce, noodles, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese until all the ingredients are used. Top with the grated mozzarella cheese, any remaining Parmesan and a sprinkle of thyme or herb of your choice.

Step 6
Cover and cook on low heat in slow cooker for 5-6 hours (this could be shorter or longer depending on your slow cooker). Remove cover; turn off heat and let stand for 15 minutes until lasagna firms up before serving.

Nutrition & Notes

Nutrition Information
Valeur nutritive
Per Serving 300 g
% Daily Value
% valeur quotidienne
Amount
Teneur
Calories / Calories 390
Fat / Lipides 14 g
Saturated / saturés 4 g
+ Trans / trans
Cholesterol / Cholestérol 85 mg
Sodium / Sodium 490 mg
Carbohydrates / Glucides 36 g
Fiber / Fibres 7 g
Sugars / Sucres 6 g
Protein Protéines 29 g
35%
Vitamin A / Vitamine A
45%
Vitamin C / Vitamine C
25%
Calcium / Calcium
20%
Iron / Fer
Developed for Chicken Farmers of Canada by Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc